Some publishers send their authors on a book tour. My publisher gives me a computer and a Roadrunner account. I'm hook, line, and sinker into the innovation of social networking. But is it fulfilling any purpose?

I do not want to be one of those commerce-focused people who view every contact as a "marketing opportunity." I DO want to feel like my creative world is enhanced through a lively exchange with people interested in similar things.

With all of the networking sites I've joined, I'm not so much worried about "what's in it for me" -- I'm perfectly capable of quickly blowing off or ignoring useless connections. I worry about fitting in -- in so many ways I'm still the shy kindergartner standing in the corner of the schoolyard wondering why everyone else seems to know one another already. I want to be a contributor, I want to be someone other people enjoy knowing, I want to show my work without being a show-off. Know what I'm saying? When does Pinocchio become a real boy?

For my status reviews of various networking sites, continue here at Mad In Pursuit